Mar 30 Top Travel Pillows

When the plane touches down in Italy or Croatia or Australia, I want to be ready to roll, which means I need to sleep on the plane, which means I need a good travel pillow that doesn't let my head do that annoying drop-to-your-chest, break-your-neck move.

Andy and I tested four of the top-reviewed travel pillows, and here's what we think of the contenders: your kitchen-tested, Bruner-approved results!

They call it a pillow, but it's really just a perfectly curved neck brace, surrounded by a super-soft wrap with a Velcro closure. I've had my TRTL wrap for a couple of years now, and I'm very happy with the no-head-drop sleep I get with this device. The cover is removable for machine washing (which, wow, it looks like I should do sometime soon), and it's perfectly packable, being only an inch or so thick. For me, a TRTL bonus is the wrap factor: it's cozy and warm on those chilly overnight flights.

Andy ordered a TRTL pillow when I did, but he's never been quite as happy with the TRTL experience as I've been. Hence, our further foray into the world of travel pillows. He's feeling optimistic about this Purefly pillow, an inflatable option with a super-soft cover that unzips for machine washing. The Purefly has a unique contoured headrest that helps prevent the dreaded head-bob. The Purefly deflates into a small pouch for excellent packability.

While cutesy spelling annoys me in the extreme, I really like the feel and function of the B Cozzy. It's super soft and supportive, and I know my head would not bob around while wearing it.

I'm almost tempted to abandon my TRTL and find new love with B Cozzy, but SIZE MATTERS, y'all! I am not a person who checks a bag, and the B Cozzy is just going to B Big and B Bulky, and if I use the snap-strap to attach it to my luggage, it's just going to B Annoying. When I'm running through an airport, I do not need one more thing flapping around behind me, messing with my aerodynamics.

One thing to note on the B Cozzy: they have a few different colors and also a child's size, so there are some perks to this one. I'm thinking about keeping it around and maybe just cheating on the TRTL every now and again...

The Cabeau Evolution has almost 3,000 4.5 star reviews at Amazon, which tempted us into trying it. The Cabeau is made of super-soft Memory Foam with a removable, washable cover. While it's a bit too tall for my neck, Andy found it very comfortable.

Our problem: it's pretty enormous, and it doesn't collapse down very well. It does have a bag for storage that would help contain its bounty a bit, but for us, this one takes up too much bag space. One helpful thing they did do with all that acreage: put a device pocket on the side.